Systems for protecting climbing devices

ABSTRACT

A system for protecting a climbing device from contacting a wall includes a barrier device defining an eyelet, an anchor anchored to the wall, and a cord. The barrier device is configured to wrap around the climbing device such that the barrier device extends between climbing device and the wall and forms a sleeve that encircles the climbing device. The barrier device protects the climbing device from the wall. The cord extends through the eyelet and is coupled to the barrier device and the anchor such that the barrier device is anchored to the wall and in a desired position relative to the wall. The barrier device is configured to move relative to the climbing device, and the cord limits movement of the barrier device relative to the climbing device.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to ropes, and specifically to systems for protecting climbing devices, such as climbing ropes, from damage during use.

BACKGROUND

Climbing devices, such as ropes, are versatile devices used in different applications such as personal climbing, military uses, search and rescue uses, boating, camping, and the like. Ropes often bear loads during use, and the ropes may inadvertently become damaged while being used. Damaged ropes may be unsafe for use and/or have decreased load capacities. The damage may cause fraying and abrasion of the ropes. Damaged ropes should be replaced, however, replacement of damaged ropes can be costly and time consuming. In addition, forgetting to inspect ropes for damage and failing to replace damaged ropes can lead to serious injury, death, and/or monetary liabilities. Thus, there is a need for systems that protect ropes from damage while in use, and these systems should be easy to use and low cost.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In certain examples, a system for protecting a climbing device from contacting a wall or other abrasive surface includes a barrier device defining an eyelet, an anchor anchored to the wall, and a cord. The barrier device is configured to wrap around the climbing device such that the barrier device extends between the climbing device and the wall and forms a sleeve that encircles the climbing device. The barrier device protects the climbing device from the wall. The cord extends through the eyelet and is coupled to the barrier device and the anchor such that the barrier device is anchored to the wall and in a desired position relative to the wall. The barrier device is configured to move relative to the climbing device, and the cord limits movement of the barrier device relative to the climbing device.

Various other features, objects, and advantages will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is described with reference to the following Figures. The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features and like components.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an example rope climbing setup with a climbing rope anchored above a rock wall and extending along the rock wall. An example protection system of the present disclosure is coupled to the rock wall and the climbing rope.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the example rope climbing setup depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of another example rope climbing setup with a climbing rope anchored above a rock wall and extending along the rock wall. Two example protection systems of the present disclosure are coupled to the rock wall and the climbing rope.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the example rope climbing setup depicted in FIG. 3

FIG. 5 is a first plan view of an example barrier device of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a second plan view of the example barrier device depicted in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the example barrier device depicted in FIGS. 5-6 wrapped around a climbing rope.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view within line 8-8 on FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an end view of the barrier device wrapped around a climbing rope in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view within line 10-10 in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE

FIGS. 1-2 depicts a climbing device, such as a rope 10, extending along a wall 15, such as a rock wall, an artificial wall, or a dirt wall, and one or more example protection systems 20 of the present disclosure coupled to the rope 10. As will be described herein below, each system 20 has a barrier device 21 coupled to the rope 10 such that the barrier device 21 is between the wall 15 and the rope 10 to prevent the rope 10 from directly contacting and rubbing against the wall 15. Thus, the barrier device 21 protects the rope 10 and prevents damage to the rope 10, such as fraying, that may occur if the rope 10 would otherwise directly contact and/or rub against the wall 15. More than one system 20 can be used to prevent different sections of the rope 10 from contacting and rubbing on the wall 15 (see FIGS. 3-4). Note that while the systems 20 of the present disclosure are described with reference to a climbing rope 10, the systems 20 can be used to protect any type of climbing devices that are suitable devices for climbing a wall. For example, the climbing device can be a rope, a cable, or a chain with interconnected links. Also, note that the climbing device may be formed from any suitable material such as twine, fabric, nylon, metal, plastic, and rubber.

In the example rock climbing example depicted in FIGS. 1-2, the rope 10 has a first end 11 connected to a stationary anchor 17 that is anchored in the ground 5 at the top of the wall 15. The anchor 17 could be any suitable device (e.g., piton, stake) or object (e.g., tree) capable of supporting the rope 10 and any load (e.g., climber) applied to the rope 10. The rope 10 also has an opposite second end 12 that is near the base of the wall 15. In this example, the rope 10 extends in a horizontal direction (see arrow H) along the top of the wall 15 to an edge 16 of the wall 15. The rope 10 further extends around the edge 16 of the wall 15 and in the vertical direction (see arrow V) along the wall 15 toward the base of the wall 15. The weight of the rope 10 and/or any load connected to the rope, such as a climber, causes the rope 10 to hang over the wall 15.

As the climber engages and uses the rope 10 to climb the wall 15, tension and load forces applied to the rope 10 by the climber tend to cause the rope 10 to move toward the wall 15 and thus, the barrier device 21 is forced into contact with the wall 15. Further, as the climber climbs, they may move the rope 10 side-to-side in a lateral direction (see arrow L on FIG. 2). The barrier device 21 is configured to move relative to the rope 10 and/or the wall 15 while still protecting the rope 10 from the wall 15. As such, the rope 10 does not directly contact the wall 15 and the barrier device 21 acts as a barrier between the wall 15 and the rope 10. Accordingly, the barrier device 21 prevents or minimizes rubbing and snagging of the rope 10 on the wall 15 thereby decreasing or eliminating the damage to the rope 10 that would normally be caused by the wall 15 with use of the barrier device 21. Note that FIGS. 1-2 depicts the system 20 positioned at a first section (denoted by arrow 14) of the wall 15 that is adjacent to a protrusion that extends from the wall 15. FIGS. 3-4 depicts a second system 20′ positioned at a section (denoted by arrow 13) of the wall 15 that is adjacent to the edge 16, and therefore, the systems 20, 20′ protect the rope 10 at both sections 13, 14 of the wall 15, respectively. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the system 20 and/or the barrier device 21 can be positioned at any location along the rope 10.

Returning to FIGS. 1-2, the system 20 includes an anchor 23 removably anchored in the ground 5 or the wall 15 and a cord 22 that connects the barrier device 21 to the anchor 23 (note FIGS. 1-2 depict the cord 22 in dashed lines). The cord 22 has a first end 26 coupled to the barrier device 21 and an opposite second end 27 coupled to the anchor 23. The cord 22 and the anchor 23 prevent the barrier device 21 from moving out of its intended position along the rope 10 and/or section 14 of the wall 15. In certain examples, the cord 22 and the anchor 23 prevent the barrier device 21 from vertically sliding down to the second end 12 of the rope 10 due to gravity. The anchor 23 is any suitable device capable of connecting to the ground 5, the wall 15, or another object. For example, the anchor 23 may be a stake, a carbineer, and/or a clip. The present inventor has also contemplated that the anchor 23 can be excluded from certain examples of the system 20. In these examples, the cord 22 can be tied to an object that can support the weight of the barrier device 21 and retain the barrier device 21 is the correct position.

In certain examples of the system 20, the cord 22 permits small amounts of movement of the barrier device 21 relative to the rope 10. That is, the cord 22 may have elastic characteristics or slack such that the cord 22 permits the barrier device 21 freely move relative to the rope 10 and/or the wall 15. In these examples, the barrier device 21 is not “fixed” in one specific position. For example, the barrier device 21 may move relative to the rope 10 and/or the wall 15 when the rope 10 forces the barrier device 21 into contact with the wall 15 and applies a downwardly directed force on the barrier device 21. In this example, the barrier device 21 may downwardly move with the rope 10 and the cord 22 thereby permits the downward movement of the barrier device 21. However, further or excessive downward movement of the barrier device 21 causes the cord 22 to resist these downward movements of the barrier device 21 and/or prevent large downward movements of the barrier device 21 (e.g., the slack in the cord 22 may permit up to 5.0 inches of downward movement of the barrier device 21). Thus, the cord 22 retains the barrier device 21 at the section 14 of the wall 15 to thereby maintain protection of the rope 10 from the section 14 of the wall 15. Note that the cord 22 can be made of any suitable material such as nylon, plastics, twine, and the like.

In certain examples, the cord 22 elastically stretches to thereby permit movement of the barrier device 21 relative to the rope 10 and/or the wall 15. In these examples, as the rope 10 moves (e.g., the rope 10 is downwardly pulled by the force of the load, the rope 10 moves laterally, the rope 10 elongates as it stretches) the barrier device 21 may move with the rope 10 until the cord 22 reaches a maximum length. For instance, the cord 22 may elastically deform up to 6.0 inches such that the barrier device 21 moves 6.0 inches with the rope 10. Once the cord 22 elastically deforms 6.0 inches, the cord 22 does not permit further movement of the barrier device 21. The cord 22 can be made with elastic materials, such as rubber or plastics, and/or have elastic components such as springs and telescoping members.

The barrier device 21 can be sized to accommodate movements of the barrier device 21 relative to the rope 10 and/or the wall 15, as noted above. For example, if the section 14 of the wall 15 has an 18.0 inch vertical length, the barrier device 21 can be sized to have a vertical length of 30.0 inches such that barrier device 21 can move 6.0 inches vertically upward or downward while still protecting the rope 10 from the section 14 of the wall 15.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-6, an example barrier device 21 of the present disclosure is depicted in greater detail. The barrier device 21 in this example is a rectangular and planar sheet of material, however, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the size and shape of the barrier device 21 may vary. For example, the shape of the barrier device 21 can be circular or cylindrical.

The barrier device 21 extends in a first direction (see arrow B) from a first side 31 to an opposite second side 32 (a first width W1) and in a second direction (see arrow C) from a first end 33 to an opposite second end 34 (a first length L1). The barrier device 21 has a first surface 36 (FIG. 3), an opposite second surface 37 (FIG. 4), and a perimeter edge surface 38 (FIG. 7) that extends along the perimeter of the barrier device 21. The length and width of the perimeter edge surface 38 depends on the first length L1, the first width W1, and thickness of the barrier device 21. The barrier device 21 can be made from any suitable material such as leather, plastic, vinyl, and the like. The barrier device 21 can be formed from one or more layers of material. The first and second surfaces 36, 37 can have same material properties, and however, in other examples, the material properties of the first surface 36 are different than the material properties of the second surface 37. For one example, the first surface 36 has low friction characteristics such that the rope 10 freely slides along the first surface 36 and/or the second surface 37 has ultraviolet light resistance characteristics to prevent UV and/or sunlight degradation of the barrier device 21. In still other examples, the first surface 36 and/or the second surface 37 are coated with additional material, such as low friction coatings, reflective coatings, and/or UV protective coatings.

The barrier device 21 includes fasteners 41, 42 (depicted in dashed lines) on the surfaces 36, 37 that couple to each other such that the barrier device 21 can be wrapped around the rope 40 (described herein). For example, when the barrier device 21 is wrapped around the rope 40, at least one fastener 41 on the first surface 36 couples to at least one fastener 42 on the second surface 37. In one example, the fasteners 41, 42 are elongated rectangular strips that extend along the sides 31, 32 of the barrier device 21. The fasteners 41 on the first surface 36 are spaced apart from each other by a second width W2, and the fasteners 42 on the second surface 37 are also spaced apart from each other by the second width W2. The fasteners 41, 42 can be double-sided adhesive tape, hook-and-loop fasteners, or the like. In other examples, the fasteners 41, 42 can be integral with the surface 36, 37. In other examples, the fasteners 41, 42 are excluded and the surfaces 36, 37 are configured to couple directly to each other. The size and shape of the fasteners 41, 42 can vary.

An eyelet 45 is defined in the barrier device 21 such that the cord 22 (FIG. 1) can be coupled to the barrier device 21. The barrier device 21 has a perimeter edge 47 around the eyelet 45, and a border member 46, made of plastic or metal, extends along the perimeter edge 47 to prevent tearing of the barrier device 21 when the cord 22 is received in the eyelet 45.

Referring to FIGS. 7-10, the barrier device 21 is depicted wrapped around the rope 10, and thus, the barrier device 21 forms a sleeve around the rope 10. In this example, one of the fasteners 41 on the first surface 36 couples to one of the fasteners 42 on the second surface 37 (see FIG. 10; note that FIG. 10 depicts the fasteners 41, 42 and the surfaces 36, 37 spaced apart for clarity). Thus, the barrier device 21 is coupled the rope 10 and slidable there along. In this example, the sides 31, 32 of the barrier device 21 and the fasteners 41, 42 extend along the rope 10. In other examples, the ends 33, 34 may extend along the rope 10 such that the sides 31, 32 of the barrier device 21 and the fasteners 41, 42 encircle the rope 10. Further, the first surface 36 faces the rope 10 and the opposite second surface 37 faces the rock wall 15.

A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the protection systems 20 described herein above, may be utilized in other applications besides with climbing devices such as climbing ropes and cables. For example, the protection systems can be used in the boating industry to protect boat tie-down ropes from contacting and rubbing on a dock. In another example, the protection systems can be used in the towing industry to protect towing ropes. In another example, the protection systems can be used in the trucking industry to protect chains and/or electrical wires that connect a towing vehicle to a towed vehicle.

In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. The different apparatuses, systems, and method steps described herein may be used alone or in combination with other apparatuses, systems, and methods. It is to be expected that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for protecting a climbing device from contacting a wall, the system comprising: a barrier device configured to couple to the climbing device such that the barrier device is positioned between the climbing device and the wall and protects the climbing device from the wall; and a cord coupled to the barrier device and configured to also couple to the wall such that the cord anchors the barrier device to the wall and maintains the barrier device in a desired position relative to the wall.
 2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an anchor configured to be anchored in the wall, and wherein the cord is coupled to the anchor such that the barrier device is anchored to the wall.
 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the climbing device is a climbing rope.
 4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the anchor is piton.
 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the barrier device is configured to move relative to the climbing device.
 6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the cord limits movement of the barrier device relative to the climbing device.
 7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the cord is stretchable.
 8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the barrier device defines an eyelet through which the cord extends.
 9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the barrier device has a perimeter edge around the eyelet and a border member that extends along the perimeter edge to thereby reinforce the eyelet.
 10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the barrier device is configured to wrap around the climbing device such that the barrier device forms a sleeve that encircles the climbing device.
 11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the barrier device has a first surface configured to face the climbing device and an opposite second surface configured to face the wall; wherein the first surface and the second surface each extend between a first side and an opposite second side and between a first end and an opposite second side; wherein the barrier device has a first fastener on the first surface that extends along the first side and a second fastener on the second surface that extends along the second side; and wherein the first fastener couples to the second fastener when the barrier device is wrapped around the climbing device.
 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first fastener and the second fastener are hook-and-loop strips.
 13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first fastener and the second fastener are fixedly coupled to the barrier device.
 14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the barrier device has a first surface configured to face the climbing device and an opposite second surface configured to face the wall; wherein the first surface and the second surface each extend between a first side and an opposite second side and between a first end and an opposite second side; wherein the barrier device has: a first fastener on the first surface that extends along the first side; a second fastener on the second surface that extends along the second side; a third fastener on the first surface that extends along the second side; and a fourth fastener on the second surface that extends along the first side; and wherein the first fastener couples to the second fastener or the third fastener couples to the fourth fastener when the barrier device is wrapped around the climbing device.
 15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the first fastener is spaced apart from the third fastener and the second fastener is spaced apart from the fourth fastener.
 16. A system for protecting a climbing device from contacting a wall, the system comprising: a barrier device defining an eyelet, wherein the barrier device is configured to wrap around the climbing device such that the barrier device extends between the climbing device and the wall and forms a sleeve that encircles the climbing device, and wherein the barrier device protects the climbing device from the wall; an anchor configured to be anchored to the wall; and a cord extending through the eyelet and being coupled to the barrier device and the anchor such that the barrier device is anchored to the wall and in a desired position relative to the wall; and wherein the barrier device is configured to move relative to the climbing device, and wherein the cord limits movement of the barrier device relative to the climbing device. 